The Snowflake's Reflection
by DigitalStrider
Summary: "... but no two snowflakes are alike. Each has its own story to tell." The advent of Armageddon nigh, a certain Cryomancer sets aside a piece of what may be his final moments to divulge in some much-needed retrospection and contemplation. Rated for mild instances of language, violence, and suggestive themes.


**A/N:** It has become apparent to me over the years that I'm better suited towards writing one-shot dramatic monologues than full-fledged narratives, mainly due to the lack of time required to start and _finish_ an overarching story. Huh.

Anyway, here's a fanfic focusing on Sub-Zero's thoughts and feelings shortly before the Battle of Armageddon. It honestly could've been posted at least a year or two ago, but I was planning on actually uploading other stories at the time, plans that didn't quite materialize, so I held off. As _MK9_ and _MKX_—which is scheduled to hit shelves in a matter of minutes (at least at the time of this submission)—are going off and doing their own thing with continuity, and winter finally met its end a few weeks ago, I thought it'd be appropriate to finally submit this and thus give the original timeline some closure. That said, Sub-Zero's reminiscing about the past integrates some of the expanded backstory from _MK9_.

**Disclaimer:** _Mortal Kombat _and all respective elements are copyright Netherrealm Studios and Warner Bros. If I didn't write up this disclaimer, Ed Boon would probably send Scorpion over to my house to rip my spine clean out and burn me to cinders.

**GET OVER HERE**... and read this story! =D

(I'm such a dork, I know.)

* * *

I would have never imagined that things could have gone so _wrong_.

It all began when Shang Tsung and Quan Chi formed their "Deadly Alliance"—itself a team-up that no one would've found believable until seen in action. As impossible and as shocking as it may have seemed, Liu Kang, champion of Mortal Kombat and the one person with the best chance of defeating the Forces of Darkness, was felled by their combined might, his soul consumed by the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung.

When I had first heard the news, I had thought that we had been the victim of some cruel joke. I may wield the element of ice, by but no means had my heart grown cold. Earthrealm had lost a great man that day, and we had lost an even greater friend.

The Edenian princess, Kitana, took the news the hardest. Absolutely devastated, she was. I heard that she had invited Liu Kang to join her on the throne, desirously—maybe even _too _desirously—wanting him to eternally rule by her side as the king and queen of Edenia. Perhaps he should have taken her up on that offer...

Raiden, appalled at how indifferent his fellow Elder Gods were towards such troubling developments, abandoned his post as Elder God and returned to Earthrealm, summoning his most trusted allies to help him combat this "Deadly Alliance." I was surprised Raiden had enlisted my aid for a third time. I knew that he wasn't too... enamored with the Lin Kuei in the past. The fact that Raiden had overlooked this, saw me as a valuable comrade in the crusade against evil... It was flattering in some ways.

I was in the process of reforming the Lin Kuei, trying to restore the clan to some semblance of glory, honor, and righteousness. It was the aftermath of Shinnok's War. Sektor, still following his programming, had tried to capture me, having failed to do so during Shao Kahn's Earthrealm invasion. Something was amiss, however. His A.I. had become (further) corrupted, and he saw the Lin Kuei Grandmaster as inferior. He had commenced a new mission: the elimination of his former master and the hostile takeover of the Lin Kuei.

How barbaric that Sektor would fell his own father in order to gain control of the Lin Kuei. Did something go horribly wrong when Sektor was automated? Did he even _have_ a soul at this point?

I arrived just in the nick of time to prevent Sektor from claiming the Dragon Medallion, the symbol of leadership within the Lin Kuei and a powerful artifact from ages past. I laid down the gauntlet: if Sektor wanted to lay claim to the leadership of our clan, he would have to do so over my cold, lifeless body. As you might have surmised, Sektor was not successful in his ambition and escaped to live another day. Word has it that Sektor fled to Japan and started his own assembly line of cybernetic warriors, the Tekunin.

With that, I took hold of the Dragon Medallion. A surge of power flowed through my veins. The amulet was said to amplify the specific powers of an individual; I could feel my Kori increasing.

The surviving Lin Kuei members were hasty to appoint me as their new Grandmaster and I accepted with much gratitude. It was my job to move the clan in a new direction. One free of selfish desires and greed. That was the disease which ultimately destroyed our old husk. I would remold them into a force for good.

But first, changes needed to be made.

The Lin Kuei relocated to Arctika, an arctic region in China. We were hidden away within an ancient temple I had discovered frozen in the side of a glacier in the Himalayas during my travels. A remote base of operations would serve us well, although I _will _admit that a clan of warriors who called themselves "Forest Demons" felt out of place in such harsh terrain.

Unfortunately, we had rivals in the form of the Tengu Clan and Snow Ninjas. Wu Lae, the leader of the Tengus, was particularly relentless in his efforts to gain complete dominance over the entire region. Any truces we strove to make were uneasy ones, only holding water for mere months at a time.

There was also the matter of replenishing the numbers of our men. The actions of the former Grandmaster and Sektor's attack had left its toll. Severely diminished, our once mighty forces had all but disbanded in the span of half a decade.

In response, I began an effort to find new recruits. In addition, a tournament would be held, its winner being given the offer to join our ranks. However, whether or not they would take up the offer was their choice; we could not force them. We would not. No longer would the Lin Kuei kidnap unsuspecting children, forcibly separating them from their families forever...

It was here that I crossed paths with an intriguing young woman. She was a brash lady with incredible fighting aptitude. The mysterious fighter won my tournament using Tong Bei, a style with origins as equally unclear as its user. Even more peculiar was her ability to freeze. Her powers were remarkably similar to my own, yet I had never heard of her before. As far as I knew, I was the only living dweller of Earthrealm with manipulation over ice and cold.

Oddly enough, the mere sight of her reminded me of my younger sister.

I had been taken against my will by my father to China to be enlisted by the Lin Kuei, indefinitely isolating me from my mother and sister in America. I can do little more than hope that they are safe. Shao Kahn's invasion was not finicky in its blood-stained trail of destruction.

I was breaking tradition, as individual Lin Kuei warriors had never before taken apprentices, but I felt a kinship with this young woman.

Eager to begin her training, this girl became my personal student and she was christened Frost. My goal was to pass on the martial art of Yuan Yang as well as teach the girl to harness her Fa Jing and refine her arsenal of ice-based techniques.

In time and under my tutelage, Frost's skills would blossom and mature, but her haughtiness could not be quelled. Her dedication to learn and her combat ability were admirable, but those traits were vastly overshadowed by her arrogance. The aloof warrior constantly criticized my philosophies and it would be an understatement to say that humility was not her strong suit.

For nearly five years, I strove to better myself and help Frost grow, not only as a combatant and member of the Lin Kuei, but as a person.

I feel my success in the latter area was limited.

During this interim, I was contacted by my old ally Sonya Blade. She had hoped to establish a connection between the Lin Kuei and the recently-created Outerworld Investigation Agency, a stealthy government-based organization devoted to increasing awareness of the other realms and protecting Earthrealm from extradimensional threats. Hearing from a good friend was a welcome surprise, and I spared no time in inviting her to our stronghold.

Unexpectedly, Frost did not take a liking to Lt. Blade, showing hostility towards the woman whom she believed to be greater than herself in terms of skill. Frost's overzealous nature preempted an early departure by Sonya, ending any relations between our two groups. I fear that Frost's actions additionally may have negatively reflected on own my friendship with the soldier.

Frost was turning out to be a handful. It was no wonder the Lin Kuei were not quick to adopt the student-teacher relationship shared by Japanese samurai.

Frost's training was eventually cut short thanks to the rise of the Deadly Alliance. I decided to take her along with me, but urged Frost to stay by my side at all times. This would be a good learning experience for my protégé, but she was not ready to strike out on her own.

At Raiden's behest, we assembled at Shang Tsung's old island fortress, the site where Liu Kang prevented a tenth victory for Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat, the site where it all began.

Ten years... Had it really been so long since the first domino tipped over in the opposite direction?

Creating a makeshift boat out of ice, Frost and I rowed our way through turbulent waters to regroup with the others. It was not the most comfortable of rides, but it would have to do. The two of us were the fourth and fifth ones to arrive, greeted by Liu Kang's brother-in-arms, the Shaolin monk known as Kung Lao, Sonya, and her CO, Commander Jackson "Jax" Briggs. Soon, we joined by Hollywood cinema star Johnny Cage. Always the glory-hogging showboater, Cage—real name John Carlton—decided to parachute down to our location with the aplomb expected of a big-time celebrity. Sometimes I wonder if the man has trouble differentiating his film sets from reality.

Night fell, and we six warriors lit a fire as we began discussing possible strategies for dealing with the Deadly Alliance. When the flames reached their maximum strength, Raiden appeared from out of the shadows to inform us of all that had transpired. Quan Chi's escape from the Netherrealm, his discovery of the Dragon King's invincible army, his agreement with Shang Tsung, the deaths of Shao Kahn and Liu Kang, everything.

Raiden was ready to lead us into battle.

Raising Shang Tsung's sunken Nethership from the depths of the ocean, Raiden brought us to a forgotten portal located in the Lost Sea; it was through here that we could travel to Outworld to combat the two sorcerers. Much to my chagrin, tension still existed between Frost and Sonya. If it were not for our enemies, the two would have been at each other's throats. And I think I might have been the only one pondering our ghostly ship's lack of a captain at the helm...

Before we could cross into the other realm, there was a trial each of us had to undertake. The celestial portal would open itself only to those deemed worthy. We had to face an apparition of our greatest personal adversary.

Mine was Scorpion.

It would seem that regardless of our attempts to keep our distance and even the truce we made several years back, our fates would be eternally intertwined.

Princess Kitana of Edenia would soon meet up with our group, no doubt here to avenge the unjust death of her Earthrealm lover, and with that, the not-quite-magnificent seven embarked on a quest to end the machinations of the two sorcerers.

As our journey progressed, Frost and I ended up separated from the rest of the group, stranded in Outworld. There, Frost's true intentions became crystal clear, like a submerged iceberg rising out of the depths of the ocean, as we used the Dragonfly system of vessels in an attempt to catch up to our friends.

With my back turned, Frost put me on ice and swiped the Dragon Medallion, intending to become the next Lin Kuei Grandmaster much like Sektor before her. However, without the proper discipline, control, and strength, the untold powers that were held within the amulet inundated Frost, freezing her alive. The last look on her face was one of pure horror.

I was to blame for Frost's tragic death. I had failed to dampen her pride. I had failed her as a mentor. Once more had I failed on all accounts.

As I searched for a place to bury Frost, I stumbled upon an Outworld civilization capable of creating and controlling ice. All that remained of them were ruins carved into a mountainside—the mythical Ice Caves of Outworld. After careful study and examination of these ancient peoples, the Cryomancers, I came to a realization: Frost and I were the only remaining descendants of this long-gone race. I could feel my body swell with pride.

Inside the ruins of this civilization, I came across a sarcophagus in which I could lay my fallen student to rest.

Sleep, Frost. May you suffer no more.

Beyond Frost's frozen grave sat a skeleton on a throne, wearing an ancestral suit of armor. The imprint of a dragon's claw—the symbol of the Lin Kuei—was engraved into the crest-like horn on the front of the helmet. Did the Cryomancers have a hand in the creation of the Lin Kuei?

Perhaps this was a sign. Our ancestors left behind their strength and wisdom; I would use these gifts to their fullest. As I donned the individual pieces, I could feel it resonating with my powers, boosting them further.

I then set forth, seeking a portal by which I could return to Earthrealm and rendezvous with the others. Of course, things did not go smoothly.

Over my travels did it quickly come to my attention that I was hounded by Tarkatan warriors. I tried to flee, but their numbers were too great. Death was the only way out.

A fierce battle broke out in the Living Forest. My last living deed would be to defeat as many of these vile beasts as possible before I succumbed to death's dark veil. As I began my last stand, I could feel my armor speaking to me. It guided me, strengthening my blows as I broke their limbs and crushed their skulls. In the end it was the trees whose bloodlust was sated, not the Tarkatans'.

"Who's next?" I inquired as the gory debacle finally concluded. Probably not the best choice of words to speak in that situation, I know.

A lone survivor, one unlucky enough to not immediately die from his fatal wounds, lied at my feet, broken. His final words were a dying whisper in the wind.

"Long live the Dragon King..."

Attempting to make forward progress, it was not long before I found my path barred by a white-haired man in a panoply bearing resemblance to a beetle's exoskeleton. A guard from Seido, the self-proclaimed enforcer of justice known as Hotaru, stepped forth to attack. Staggering him with a succession of vicious blows, I narrowly escaped and made haste to cover up my trail, my charred and worn armor a sign of my questionable fortune.

I soon met a blind swordsman named Kenshi. Or rather, as fate would have it, I miraculously found his half-dead body sprawled out before me on the road ahead. He was in critical condition, mortally wounded by an unknown assailant. If I recalled correctly, he was a comrade of Sonya and Jax. A friend of theirs was a friend of mine.

Continuing my journey, I took Kenshi in tow and slowly nursed him back to health. The two of us hiked across the sprawling landmass that was Outworld. I had only been here a few times prior, confined only to a limited number of key locales, with none of those times being any longer than that of a fortnight. I would have taken the opportunity to bask in the wonders of the fantastic and awe-inspiring places we stumbled across, a far cry from the night-shrouded wastelands I was accustomed to, but we did not have the leisure of sightseeing. This was not some tourist attraction. Time was of the essence.

Along the way, Kenshi and I decided to share our life stories with one another. I tend to be furtive about my past with all except for my closest of friends, but I figured it couldn't hurt as long as I left out the most confidential details. It was too dangerous to risk traveling during the day and we needed to do _something _to pass the time.

Kenshi was born in Earthrealm. He wandered the lands, seeking out worthy competitors to challenge. Victory was a means of stroking his ego.

In many ways, Kenshi was no different from Frost: talented, headstrong, and painfully overconfident.

One day, he encountered a peculiar character named Song, who convinced Kenshi that a great warrior required a great sword. Sound logic.

The mysterious old man led Kenshi to an ancient tomb buried beneath the ruins of the House of Pekara where he claimed that a powerful sword bearing the name Sento rested. As Kenshi unsealed the well, the light emanating from the overflow of the souls trapped within permanently robbed Kenshi of his sight.

Song revealed himself to be none other than Shang Tsung in disguise, manipulating Kenshi so that he could absorb the souls within the tomb.

The now-blind young man would have rotted away in that tomb had it not been for one oversight: there _was_ a sword in that well, one belonging to the dynasty of great swordsmen. The souls Shang Tsung had stolen belonged to a long line of warrior kings hailing from Eurasia from which Kenshi had descended, and now their blade would safeguard its rightful heir.

Guided by his sword out of the labyrinth, Kenshi spent the next several years retraining his remaining senses, all the while looking for his deceiver. He had planned on entering the Mortal Kombat tournament, the very same one my brother had participated in, but somehow missed the call. His ten years' vengeance would have to take a detour.

Kenshi's drive to enact revenge on Shang Tsung led him to Sonya and Jax, whose OIWA organization and operation with portals provided Kenshi with another chance to find his target. Accepted as a member of the group, Kenshi was assigned to look for fellow member Cyrax—the very same Lin Kuei warrior ordered to track me down after my defection from the clan, who was somehow lost in Outworld. This mission brought Kenshi face-to-face with the amalgamation of souls known only as Ermac.

Ah, yes. I remember Ermac.

His being composed of legions of dead Edenian souls most likely taken personally by the emperor's cruel hands, Ermac was forced to do Shao Kahn's bidding. He was no more than a mindless attack dog during the invasion of Earthrealm. With Shao Kahn's death at the hands of the Deadly Alliance, Ermac was left to wander Outworld, awaiting his next instructions.

Pitying the creature and his miserable existence, Kenshi broke the mind control spell Shao Kahn placed upon him. No longer a pawn of the emperor, Ermac had been given self-awareness through his encounter with Kenshi. As a token of his gratitude for giving him the chance to finally choose for himself, Ermac trained Kenshi to more effectively use his latent telekinetic powers in combat. He also taught the boy how to "sense" the presence of people and objects around him using his ki. Ermac left to reflect upon his newfound conscience and consciousness, with Kenshi heading in another direction—he was now hot on the trail of Quan Chi and Shang Tsung, and it was here that I came across his injured and battered body. Odd, hook-like wounds could be found near his rib cage. If I had not arrived sooner, he may have already been dead.

Sadly, he was also the bearer of bad news. The man's story revealed the awful truth to me: my troubles with Frost had unwittingly spared me from a far worse fate. Kitana, Kung Lao, Sonya, Cage, and Jax had fallen in battle with the Deadly Alliance, while Raiden had sacrificed himself in a vain struggle. A new shadow cast its dark presence upon the realms: Onaga, the Dragon King.

As Kenshi's storytelling hour came to a close, we had nearly arrived at our destination. The portal to Earthrealm was just beyond our sight.

Despite our best efforts to stealthily trek across the wilds of Outworld in the blanket of night, it was here that we were assaulted yet again by Hotaru. He must have been in allegiance with Onaga. My bloody skirmish with the Tarkatan horde had caught Onaga's eye and I had been marked for death once more.

He was nothing if not persistent, though I would hardly call it an admirable quality. As the leader of the Lin Kuei, I could understand the need for order and stability, but there is a difference between upholding the law and wayward, fanatical servitude. Hotaru fell into the latter category.

Ruthless, the man blinded me with a flash of rending light. I was at his mercy, soon to join my defeated allies. He placed his hands on my helmet, as if to snap my neck. Over one hundred degrees of heat instantly rushed to my brain. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, so to speak. He was attempting to superheat my head into a puddle of liquidized flesh.

Had I been alone, he might have very well succeeded.

Luckily for me, the katana-brandishing warrior came to my aid. Kenshi, having no need or dependence on his sight, protected me from Orderealm's best warrior. It was almost if he had been expecting our "guest." With his heightened senses, it was not implausible.

Kenshi's "sight" was of a spiritual nature; our pursuer did not notice Kenshi creeping down upon him. It was the last mistake that he would ever make.

Hotaru was quickly silenced, and the two of us continued on our way before heading down our separate paths. I was eternally in the debt of this man. While an ally to the Special Forces and the Lin Kuei, Kenshi was first and foremost a lone warrior. It was not my place to sway his path. I could only pray that his quest for vengeance against Shang Tsung would not consume him like it did for so many others. Far too many good men have already found themselves at the mercy of their appetite for revenge.

I crossed through the portal into Earthrealm. I was finally home. But respite would not come so quickly for me. As soon as I had returned, the hermit known as Shujinko was rallying the remaining Earthrealm heroes to combat Onaga.

Off to Outworld again, it would seem.

I traveled with Shujinko and his party, as we fought our way into the heart of Onaga's citadel. Alongside us were none other than Kenshi, Bo' Rai Cho, and Li Mei. I was relieved to see Kenshi make a full recovery. Our other two companions, however, were unknown to me. I expected our upcoming fight to be one that we all might not possibly survive, so I figured that I might as well learn the identities of my fellow warriors before it was too late.

Bo' Rai Cho was the Outworlder who taught Liu Kang almost everything he knew in preparation for Shang Tsung's Mortal Kombat tournament, including the flying kick Liu Kang used to defeat Shang. An experienced combatant, he instead chose to devote his time to teaching the next generation instead of directly applying the breadth of his almost-encyclopaedic knowledge of the martial arts. He could not compete in the Mortal Kombat tournament because his victory would have ensured Outworld with its tenth win, sealing Earthrealm's fate. Kung Lao and Kitana sought his guidance when preparing for the battle against the Deadly Alliance. While he did not participate in our fight, Bo' Rai Cho wished Raiden and the others good luck as they approached Shang Tsung's palace and the Tarkatan horde. It would not be until later that he learned of the massacre that occurred.

It was not a total loss, though. He managed to save an innocent, the woman standing before us.

Her faded emerald eyes told a thousand tales.

Li Mei was another native of Outworld. One day, her home village of Sun Do came under attack by an army of the Deadly Alliance led by Kano. They were enslaved and forced to toil in harsh conditions to construct an edifice around the Soulnado Shang Tsung had tapped into. Stubborn as a mule and strong as an ox, Li Mei valiantly fought back. Although young, she was quite skilled; Li Mei may very well have defeated Kano had it not been for Quan Chi's intervention.

Her prowess gaining Quan Chi's attention, he struck a Faustian deal with her; if she were to win his tournament, he'd release Li Mei's people. It was an offer she could not refuse. Li Mei tore through the tournament ladder, adamant on winning back her town's freedom.

Quan Chi, however, had different plans. As it turned out, Li Mei was the last soul Shang Tsung needed to revive Onaga's invincible army. Bo' Rai Cho, who had been spying on the duo for some time, had managed to save the girl before her soul was imprisoned in the inanimate corpse, but he was too late to her prevent her once-pure soul from being corrupted. Li Mei's body began to take on select aspects of the ancient warrior she was almost doomed to become, such as the armor she was adorned in.

Li Mei spoke of how a strong, supernatural influence urged her to return to Onaga's side, moments of "clarity" and "understanding" causing her to sympathize with the Dragon King's cause. She was unsure of how long she could resist her yearn to follow Onaga, but the now-hardened warrior was ready to fight with us to the bitter end... or as long as was humanly (Outworlderly?) possible. As a last request, she asked that we kill her should she fall prey to the ritual eating at her spirit.

And then there was Shujinko, the man who stood at the center of this crisis.

In the not-too-distant past, Onaga, reduced to a mere spirit without a physical body, deceived a youth named Shujinko, leading him under the false pretenses of being deemed as the Elder Gods' champion. This preceded Shang Tsung's defeat at the hands of Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat; it was a beguilement spanning decades. Under the facade of an avatar named Damashi, Onaga projected his conscience through the realms. Posing as an emissary of the Elder Gods, Onaga had Shujinko play the role of lapdog, going on a fetch quest to retrieve the Kamidogu—artifacts crafted by the Elder Gods that contained the essence of six realms: Earthrealm, Edenia, Outworld, Orderrealm, Chaosrealm, and the Netherrealm. These items came into existence long before the realms or any life sprung forth, when the Elder Gods devised a plan to seal away the One Being, an omnipotent entity that existed alongside the Elder Gods at the beginning of time and fed off of their energies.

Onaga's trick worked, and when his revival was at hand, he ventured to the Nexus joining the realms and stole the Kamidogu. Having been given ancient knowledge thanks to Tanya—a traitor to Edenia, a woman who once posed as our ally during Shinnok's escape from the Netherrealm—Onaga set forth to merge the Kamidogu together so that he could use their power.

The One Kamidogu... The One Being... Such a power cannot be allowed to return to the physical plane, for if it awakes, our dream will come to an abrupt end.

Racked with guilt and seeking penance for his unintended misdeed, Shujinko departed to defeat Onaga and stop the threat that endangered all of existence. I felt a need to reprimand Shujinko for his past foolishness, but this was not the time. The man had been through enough already and he was seeking to amend the current situation. It would not be right of me to chastise him now.

Not before long were we at Onaga's throne room, face-to-face with the Dragon King himself. We were shown the way by Havik, a cleric of Chaos. Although no ambush laid in wait for us, I did not trust our unlikely guide and accomplice. He was as unpredictable as his misspelled name denoted. Formless like water and just as ever-changing, Havik must have had an ulterior motive for aiding our grave undertaking.

Shujinko asked that we hold off any intruders as he dueled Onaga and slowly destroyed each of the Kamidogu one by one. It was not an easy task, as the already-hectic fight became increasingly chaotic with more and more fighters—friend and foe alike—pouring in by the second, but we somehow managed to keep our attackers at bay.

And then, the unthinkable happened. Out of nowhere came Scorpion, himself the _true_ champion of the Elder Gods. Sent by those above to slay Onaga, an empowered Scorpion literally dove through Onaga's midsection, tearing his body asunder and severely crippling him.

During a brief wane in combat I could see Shujinko, previously backed into a wall by Onaga, smiling at this development. He must have been expecting this. Onaga was a magnetic force, and all of the fighters were drawn towards him, supplying Shujinko with a favorable opportunity to turn the tables. In a flash, the essences of all the combatants were drawn into the medal held on his belt, thanks to a mimicry ability the Dragon King had personally bestowed upon Shujinko decades ago. He radiated every color of the rainbow as he delivered a vicious mauling to the once mighty Dragon King in retaliation. Every other battle came grinding to a halt, all of us struck with bewilderment at what was unfolding before our very eyes.

Shujinko stood victorious, but before he could deliver the final blow, Onaga's soul was pulled away (I would later discover that this was Nightwolf's doing), leaving behind Reptile's unconscious body.

It was now time to make our escape. Using my enhanced cryomancy, we quickly secured an escape route from the Dragon King's lair by cutting a path directly through the swarm of onlookers. I saw Kabal among the crowd, a scowling redhead and a blond thug with him.

A pity. He was once one of Raiden's chosen warriors, not unlike myself. Now, he's an anarchist working to restore the Black Dragon clan.

None of that mattered, though. The Dragon King had been vanquished. The storm had passed. A hearty celebration would be held in Queen Sindel's palace that night, although we held a silent funeral in our hearts for the departed.

It was at that moment that Ermac appeared, with more good news to be received: traveling alongside Liu Kang's spirit, Ermac had managed to rescue my friends from Onaga's grasp. It would seem that Onaga had revived them in the same way he restored his allegedly unstoppable army and bent them to his will.

In the morning, I wished my allies safe traveling and broke away from them, quickly returning to the portal through which I had entered Outworld by means of another Dragonfly glider.

My hopes of returning home were dashed when I was approached by a beautiful young woman. A mysterious aura permeated from every fiber of her body. It was that of the dark and hoary Netherrealm. The enigmatic character introduced herself as Sareena.

It was a name that hearkened back to so long ago...

I remember the stories my older brother Bi-Han told me long ago, before his death at the hands of Scorpion. A tale of how he had to stop Quan Chi from delivering an amulet to his deity Shinnok. He had disclosed to me information about the Temple of the Elements and other untold secrets, crucial knowledge I had passed along to my friends during our battle with Shinnok.

Sareena was a demoness who was once allied with the Brotherhood of Shadows, an assassin sent to slay my brother and prevent him from succeeding in his mission. Bi-Han, for reasons unknown, spared Sareena. In turn, she came to his rescue against Quan Chi, but was seemingly killed by Shinnok as "retribution" for her betrayal.

Bi-Han spoke fondly of her. It was not hard to see why.

Had it not been for Sareena, I may have lost my brother far earlier than I already did.

I kept telling myself that it was nothing more than repaying a debt. A matter of honor and gratitude. Sareena sacrificed herself to save my brother, so I felt that I should return the favor. Yet, whenever I found myself staring into those shimmering blue eyes, my heart would tell me that there was another reason involved...

The Lin Kuei would gain a powerful ally, but offering asylum to a feminine fiend did not come without its repercussions. Many of my clansmen were reluctant, to say the very least. I heard them whisper slanders and gossip behind her back. Many were under the impression that Quan Chi had sent her to seduce me and lower the Lin Kuei's guard to the point that we'd all be easy pickings. The fact that Sareena still adorned herself in the clothes of a member of the Brotherhood of Shadows did not do much to allay their suspicions.

For some reason, these words angered me more than they should have. They only saw a malicious demon. No demon I knew would have ever developed a conscience.

However, I would have to mask my sentiments or else run risk of playing favorites. I was not the most popular of leaders, and words of dissension filled the air amongst our younger, more impulsive members. The Lin Kuei used to be well-respected before I took the title of Grandmaster, and I'm sure many lament our relative downturn in funding since those days.

It pained me to be hard on this woman, but there was nothing else I could do. She had undoubtedly earned _my _trust, but she would have to gain the graces of my fellow Lin Kuei as well, an endeavor that would require much time and effort from both sides.

As Sareena and I conversed, we spotted a shadowy figure leaving Shao Kahn's fortress: the wraith Noob Saibot. And he was not alone.

Smoke was at his side.

I had toiled to help Smoke recover his lost humanity after the Lin Kuei abducted him and transformed him into one of their cybernetic warriors, but it would seem that Noob had overridden Smoke's free will once more.

Quickly handing Quan Chi's reformed acolyte a small metallic object that would guide her and grant her access to the hidden Lin Kuei temple, I ordered Sareena to wait for me there as I followed Noob's trail, leading me into the Netherrealm.

I had seen Noob Saibot a few times before, most notably during Shao Kahn's invasion of Earthrealm, acting as a stealthy agent of the corrupt emperor. He subsequently reappeared years later as a member of Shinnok's Brotherhood of Shadow when the fallen Elder God began his maniacal rage against the heavens.

Noob Saibot was an enigma to all, and as such, I never tried to figure him out. I was too simpleminded to piece together the clues at the time. His appearance, his knowledge of and familiarity with the Earthrealm heroes, his _cryomancy_; by the Elder Gods, I was blinder than Kenshi!

The wraith known to many as Noob Saibot... was none other than my elder brother, Bi-Han, his soul having descended into the darkest depths of the Netherrealm to be twisted and shaped into a being of pure darkness.

My pursuit brought me to a slaughterhouse in the unholy city of Nekros, a capital of sorts in Shinnok's forsaken citadel and the base of operations of the Brotherhood of Shadows. Bi-Han's corruption began here; how fitting that he'd return to the site of his greatest conquest. Noob Saibot had been expecting me, leaving behind breadcrumbs for me to pick up. And he had enthralled an unwilling Smoke to his side.

Tomas Vrbada from Prague, otherwise known as the former Lin Kuei member Smoke, was like a younger brother to me.

_Brácha_. It's Czech for "brother." That was the word he used to sometimes refer to me, a sign of our strong ties.

He was my closest ally, hiding in my shadow, behind the trees of the Living Forest, at the bottom of the sea... The Slavic warrior was always sticking his neck out to protect me. My deepest regret is that I could not save Tomas from the Grandmaster's cruel ambition.

The Cyber Initiative... Only the most loathsome of warlords would have resorted to using machinery to suppress the free will of their loyal subordinates.

I was fortunate enough to evade my automated brethren (though almost at the cost of one of my eyes), but Smoke's lot in life was doomed to be far bleaker. To make matters worse, Shao Kahn's extermination squads abducted Smoke and put his deactivated body on display—like a trophy—in Shao Kahn's dungeons. No doubt would a devious fiend like Noob attempt to suppress Smoke's conscience when he had no chance to fight back for himself.

I had been briefly filled with hope when Shujinko had passed along to me several messages courtesy of Smoke himself. I had believed him to be dead. These messages were perhaps a sign that somewhere in the shadowy abyss of techno-organic suppression, Smoke's noble soul still could muster a brief glimmer of light. Seeing him as an enslaved lackey shattered my faith once more.

I could see it in Noob's eyes; there was no room for words. He came to put an end to me, his own flesh and blood. Once upon a time, he was my brother. I looked up to him, idolized him, loved him. I remember feeling pride run through my veins as I donned his uniform during our struggle against Shinnok.

But this ghoul that appeared before me... He was my brother no more.

A fierce battle ensued, one where I was quickly overwhelmed by Noob's control of the shadows and Smoke's nanomachines. When the situation had reached its apex of hopelessness, right before Bi-Han was poised to deliver the killing blow, Sareena—having chased after me regardless of my command—appeared out of nowhere to enter the fray and aid me in combat. With the sides now even, we were able to drive the duo into parts unknown, but not before I was rendered unconscious.

Coming to my senses sometime later, I was greeted by... some sort of monster. I was still dazed and confused, but I _was_ alert enough to defend myself. Curiously, the beast did not attack, instead fleeing into the depths of the Netherrealm.

Sareena was nowhere to be seen.

Dizzied and drained, I hiked back to Earthrealm, wondering the reason for Noob's appearance in Outworld.

It would not be until later that I learned the identity of my attacker: Sareena herself, the dark energies of the Netherrealm and the intensity of our fight with Noob and Smoke driving Sareena mad, causing her to lose control of her actions and revert to her true form. Yet, she retained just enough awareness to refuse to attack. She could not bring herself to harm me.

If only I had known, I would have hastily followed after her.

How tragic. Sareena, the self-loathing daemon in the guise of an alluring woman. I cannot deny that I felt _something_ for her; the same must have applied in reverse if her feelings for me were strong enough to override her natural instincts.

It was the first time I had a relationship of this caliber with a woman, if you could even call it that. The fairer sex was hardly in abundance back in the days before I assumed leadership of the Lin Kuei, and it was not as if our clan valued meaningful interaction between its assassins anyway. They frowned on it, in fact.

Emotion, friendship, love. Those concepts only dulled the senses of a glorified hitman and thief. Most merely had their honor as a Lin Kuei warrior; I was lucky to have my bond with Smoke.

I wonder, how much of her affection was genuine? Was any of it influenced by her memory of Bi-Han, the man who saved her, the man who most likely would no longer show that mercy again?

... Listen to me, rambling on like a hormone-addled teenager.

I had returned to the unpleasant sight of blood splattered across the temple floor. Frost, not quite as dead as it seemed, had been freed from her icy imprisonment and struck down several of her former clansmen.

Frost lashed out in anger, calling out for my punishment. She was clearly in a state of delirium, claiming to see me everywhere and seeking revenge for what she perceived to be _my _betrayal. I swiftly defeated the unstable turncoat and subsequently froze her in a block of ice, then sealed her body within a shrine located in the deepest recesses of our temple and barricaded the altar on which she laid behind an icy wall of my own design.

Frost, where did I go wrong in my instruction?

One day, she will recover and have to face her crimes against the Lin Kuei. But today would not be that day.

Not too long after, a stranger showed up at our doorstep and began defeating scores of my men left and right. On top of that, he released Frost from her frozen coffin, and my ex-disciple had departed, her whereabouts unknown. This would not stand with me, and I quickly engaged the trespasser, cutting him off at a sanctum known to us as the Lin Kuei Palace.

Before a decisive victory could be reached, I took notice of our intruder's dragon tattoo. It closely resembled a vault door in the temple that we had been previously unable to open. The man, only having come to the temple to receive "a gift" left by his mother, mentioned a brother who appeared to have already come through here before the Lin Kuei arrived.

He unbarred the door and stepped forward, claiming for himself a powerful suit of armor. How odd that a sorceress would leave behind nothing more than armor for her son at a place like this. As I questioned him about this peculiarity, he began to prattle, speaking of some sort of quest he had been sent on. His words were troubling. He mentioned Rain, a traitor to Edenia, and gave a cryptic remark about "saving the realms." The man also spoke of several attempts on his life by assassins in red. He then inquired about the dragon symbol worn by the men that were hunting him down, but before I could disclose anything more, the temple came under attack yet again.

Clearly, the Elder Gods must have had it out for me this week, as fate was not on my side.

Noob and his legion of shadow warriors had somehow discovered our whereabouts and stormed the Lin Kuei temple, converting several of our warriors into cyber demons thanks to Smoke. I rushed off again to face my brother, demanding that the unknown man choose a side, preferably my own.

Noob had been stripped of all humanity. He was a black-hearted abomination that needed to be stopped. He helped sow the seeds of discord throughout Outworld at nothing more than a mere whimsy. He reactivated Smoke—my best friend—and reformatted him into a mindless slave only able to do his bidding. He attacked my fellow Lin Kuei—his former allies and friends. He was now a sickening perversion of the very values he so adamantly upheld in life. Brother or no, Noob could be allowed to continue as is. If I cannot cleanse my brother's soul, I _must _kill him. I have no other choice.

I remember that fateful day before I entered the Outworld tournament in my brother's place. My former codename of Tundra was discarded. It was the day that I, Kuai Liang, would be the sixth to take up the mantle of Sub-Zero, a title that been an integral part of my family since my great-great-grandfather. I had received news that my brother's whereabouts were unknown, as he had failed to return from the tournament and there were rumors abound about Shang Tsung's survival. I would later discover Scorpion's foul vendetta against my brother.

Yet I would not seek revenge. I thought that I had every right to, but it dawned on me that I was not my brother. A Lin Kuei I may have been, but a cutthroat I was not. I would not spill the blood of my opponents unless it was the only option remaining and _only_ if my life depended upon it. Perhaps it was my humanity—a perceived weakness by many of my enemies—that set me apart from my brother. We were both bearers of the name "Sub-Zero," but no two snowflakes are alike. Each has its own story to tell. Perhaps it was by destiny's cruel design that I would walk in the light as my brother devolved into a denizen of the dark.

I fought my way deeper into the temple, the bodies of my clansmen lining the floors.

Swearing to avenge my brothers and put their souls to rest, I squared off with Noob. Unfortunately, it was a promise I could not keep.

Noob again managed to defeat me, but our guest finished what I could not. Smoke had been forced to shut down due to damages sustained in his battle with my inscrutable visitor, and Noob, bested in combat, slipped away into the darkness. His intervention had not only saved my life, but provided me with the opportunity to restore Smoke's free will as well. I had managed to learn a thing or two about artificial intelligence from Jax.

As I promised beforehand, I revealed the identity of the man's aggressors: the Red Dragon clan, an organization that came into conflict with the Lin Kuei not too long ago.

The Red Dragon. Sworn enemies of the Black Dragon. A gathering of miscreants and criminals that had existed for thousands of years. In the past, they may have been considered a potential ally to the Lin Kuei, but now, with my efforts to reform the group, they were yet another threat to our existence. Mavado, their leader, and Hsu Hao, his right hand man and a mole sent to destroy the OIWA's portals system, had been cannon fodder placed in our path by Shang Tsung and Quan Chi.

Pointing him the direction of Charred Mountain—the Red Dragon's stronghold—I bid farewell to the strange man known as Taven, setting my sights on aid for the injured, repose for the dead, and fortification for our destabilized bastion.

I had experienced enough to know that the events of that day would not be the last of my troubles, though some surprises were more favorable than others.

In due time, Sareena returned to me. Once again was she on our side. I had apparently Taven to thank for this as well. In his quest to find the Red Dragon clan in the caverns they called home, he came across Quan Chi conversing with one of their men. The ensuing battle had allowed Sareena to escape Quan Chi's hold upon her—this time, for good.

Sareena's long-time partners, Kia and Jataaka, were not so lucky. If Sareena could reform, then maybe they, too, could have found a place in the light. Now, I guess we'll never truly know for sure.

Even with Smoke and Sareena's return, the Forces of Light seem splintered. The clouds were stirring once more, our calm nothing more than a momentary reprieve.

Ermac had been raving about how he sensed a greater threat to the stability of the realms, an invisible puppet master—the One Being—that had been controlling the marionettes known as Shao Kahn and Onaga. That, unfortunately, was probably the least of our worries at the time.

Thanks to his flawed "resurrection" of sorts, Raiden had been corrupted by the Dragon King's influence. Fujin, a friend of Raiden's and Earthrealm's god of the winds, stated that upon "death," a god would simply reform as a blank slate.

This was not the case with Raiden.

Not only did he now view _all_ humans as malicious, irredeemable bearers of evil not fit to populate this world, but his disdain for the Lin Kuei, a mistrust that he had strove to purge himself of many years ago, rose back to the surface. He became merciless, and his actions became increasingly more... morally questionable. All of us—especially the still-grieving Kitana—were disgusted to learn that he had reanimated Liu Kang's corpse and sent it on a rampage through the realms, using it as an enforcer of his will against any who sought to do Earthrealm harm. Countless innocents were left dead in the wake of this calamity.

The Raiden we knew would have _never_ resorted to such Machiavellian tactics.

Without Raiden's much-needed guidance, we would surely fall into disarray.

It was Johnny Cage, of all people, who sent out the word to unite the forces of good for one final stand in Outworld. Many heroes, both old and new, answered the call. Driven by different personal stakes, we were all united by a single, overlapping goal: the safeguarding of the realms.

We certainly had our work cut out for us.

Years of failure at conquering these worlds had pushed our enemies into a corner. They were now desperate enough to strike up a temporary alliance. Alone, they were formidable. Together, they'd be deadlier than ever

Oddly enough, Taven was nowhere to be seen, despite his good intentions. Perhaps he had more pressing matters to attend to. It was not my business to know, although his words to me at the Lin Kuei temple had etched a mural of uncertainty into my soul.

And so, here we stand, mere days away from what will perhaps be the greatest struggle of our lives.

Bi-Han will definitely appear in this upcoming battle. It would be the perfect opportunity for him to backstab and rise to power. This may be my last chance to save him, regardless of how much he revels in his new form.

One of our newer compatriots is a regal woman named Ashrah. Much like Sareena, she is actually a demoness and was a former "sister" in the Brotherhood of Shadow. She allegedly ascended from the Netherrealm using an enchanted Kriss known as Datusha, the Bane of the Moroi. Killing demons, she slowly purified herself and became a being of light, assuming the form of a beautiful maiden in the process. I know from the words of Shujinko and Ermac that Ashrah values that blade more than anything. She'd probably cut off my head before willingly relinquishing such a weapon, but perhaps there are other ways to stamp out evil.

I must research. Time is running out.

Sitting in solitude, I found myself reflecting upon all that had befallen us. The sound of silence pierced the air, as much of an oxymoron that may be.

The halls were empty. I had given the order for our men to retreat to a safer haven in preparation for the upcoming battle; our temple had already been compromised and the chance of another attack was likely. There were numerous causalities, and even more injured. The few disciples brave enough—or perhaps foolhardy enough—to remain had already retired to their personal chambers for the night, a handful blessed to have a bed to share with another.

Many of them were barely adults, younger and much greener than I when I first found myself involved in this war between the realms. Cage would occasionally joke that these men and women were so wet behind the ears that a simple touch of mine would freeze them solid, leave them brittle and easily fractured. Though his humor is often in bad taste, I could not find it in myself to disagree with this assessment.

I recently requested Queen Sindel's aid in erecting a protective barrier for this once sacred ground. With some assistance from her court's wizards and the Ice Scepter—an intricate Lin Kuei ceremonial weapon I stole away during my escape and used during the battle against Shinnok—a trap would be laid for any with the intention to harm to this place.

Even if I am to fall, the next generation must survive. They simply must.

I sat, alone, in my bedchamber, my life's story running on continuous play throughout my mind.

Deciding to take a midnight stroll around our temple's perimeters, I caught a glimpse of myself in one of the hallways' mirrors. By no means was I narcissistic, but I examined my face nonetheless.

It was odd. A short time ago, I would have been hard-pressed to say I looked my age. The Dragon Medallion's amplification of my cryomancy came with unexpected side-effects, causing my body to prematurely age.

Would you find it hard to believe that I was only in my early forties?

But now, gone were the wrinkles that covered my face. My hair regained its charcoal sheen. Well, some of it. The old scar across my right eye that I had earned during my defection from the Lin Kuei even seemed to have mysteriously faded, bringing new focus to my unnaturally glowing blue eyes.

Was this an effect of the suit of armor that once belonged to my forefathers?

Regardless of how I regained my youth (relatively speaking), now was not the time for mirror gazing.

I continued along the dim corridors of the lifeless temple, searching every nook and cranny for any signs of intruders. I was restless, probably paranoid. But I needed to do _something_ to clear my mind of the doubt that had taken up residence.

I began to take note of the many statues scattered throughout the temple halls, all depicting a veiled woman of great beauty in a flowing red dress. The most prominent of these figures stood opposite the vault unlocked by Taven.

An abbot living in a nearby monastery, formerly held captive in Tengu encampment near the site of a holy obelisk—the monks' place of worship—until he was rescued by Taven, referred to her as Delia, the Lady of Flame. While passing through this area, Fujin, an old friend of Taven's, would further elaborate that this woman was a powerful Edenian sorceress blessed (or cursed) with visions of the future. She was the mortal bride of Argus, Edenia's protector god, and Taven's mother. The temple the Lin Kuei resided in was formerly hers. In hindsight, that _would_ explain Taven's earlier presence here.

This Delia character sounded benevolent, or benevolent enough. Could she have always been watching over us from the inside?

I had reached the upper levels of the building. It had been a while since I traveled to the zenith of this place. Only the archers who served as our last line of defense stayed here on a regular basis, remaining ever-vigilant with their lookout.

A cold draft chilled the wooden floors. Flash-freezing the water vapor in the air, I quickly constructed my Kori Blade, brandishing it against our would-be invaders.

I was greeted by darkness. A faint light illuminated the hallway. Someone must've ventured outside to the rooftop. Dispersing my weapon, I made my way up the ladder.

The stars shone brilliantly in the lifeless dark sea above. Two shadows idled in the distance.

Smoke remained silent, arms folded as his gaze fixated on the melancholy glow of the night sky. I wonder if, on nights such as these, Tomas laments over the loss of his human body. I can't even begin to imagine the pain he's suffered because of that robotic shell he's trapped within.

How would the story unfold if our roles had been reversed? I shudder at the thought

Sareena, sitting on the ground with her legs tucked into her chest, also kept to herself, no doubt contemplating the lies Quan Chi had manipulated her with. I could feel my blood boiling as Sareena was almost brought to tears recounting how he told her that she could never be a being of light as long as she was a demon.

I see why Scorpion hates Quan Chi so intensely; he was nothing more than a lying, conniving shrew who could not be bothered to sully his hands except for when he was feeling extra nasty.

I will not lie, I still do not like Scorpion, but the spectre is not my enemy. He never has been. It's hard to be so forgiving of my brother's killer, but even _he_ has morals. I can respect that much from the man with whom I made a truce. He honors the memory of his family and he even sought atonement by acting as my guardian for a time. Perhaps, in another life, in another time, the two of us could have been good friends. But there is no time like the present, is there?

If anything, I swear this for the upcoming war: if Scorpion does not get to Quan Chi first, I will deliver the punishment that the sorcerer has sought to avoid for so long. Sareena, Scorpion, Li Mei, myself, and all others who have suffered because of that ogre deserve that much. Our pain would be redirected back at him tenfold. And do not think that I have forgotten the agonizing feeling of his foot drilling into my sternum either.

Nothing burns hotter than ice. I will make sure Quan Chi learns just _how_ hot.

I approached, slowly lowering my hands upon her shoulders as I sat down behind her. I could feel her body shiver at my touch. I had almost forgotten; freezing powers.

Still, she cuddled up, wrapping her arms around my sides and burrowing her head into my chest. Sareena lifted her head up, her line of sight meeting my own. In her eyes was a look of wistfulness and vulnerability, as if she were asking me to never let go. She sought comfort. Companionship. Love. I was willing to provide in any way I could.

Sareena fully turned around, pressing her body into mine as she lowered my mask and inched in. Her face slowly creeping closer to my own, Sareena closed her eyes and puckered her lips. I could feel her cool breath lightly touching my face.

Before things could progress further, mere micrometers short of our mouths meeting, an odd sound rang in my ears.

It was a hushed noise. That of humorous jest. That of amusement. Sareena and I looked up. Smoke, his wispy body hidden behind a bestial mask, was staring us down.

"By all means, go ahead," he said while holding back another fit of laughter. "Don't let me stop you two lovebirds. I've seen this scene in plenty of movies before."

"Shouldn't you be wooing _your_ girlfriend?" inquired Sareena in a half-joking manner. "You know, the Edenian princess's bodyguard?"

"You and Jade _did_ spend an inordinate amount of time keeping yourselves hidden in the Living Forest back in the day," I chimed in. "Smoke, is there something you'd like to share with us?"

"Shh... No one was supposed to know about our woodland tryst until _after_ the honeymoon."

Smoke placed a finger up to where his mouth would be.

"Seeing as you two are so starved for juicy details, I _will_ say that my sweet _bohyně_ is 36-24-36 _and _she's a Scorpio."

Smoke playfully nudged me in the shoulder, his voice elating at the mention of Jade's astrological sign, something I wouldn't expect a woman born long before the advent of Western astrology here in Earthrealm to notice or even care about. (Though with her undying loyalty to Edenia and Jade's inability to let a grudge go where certain characters are concerned, she's _definitely _a Scorpio.)

Sareena, in a mix of disbelief and entertainment, shook her head.

"Smoke you can't seriously mean _that_, can you? Age, weight, measurements—those kinds of things aren't exactly meant to be recited aloud at a moment's notice. We gals are sensitive about our figures, you know."

"And how exactly do you know of this information, Smoke?" My eyebrows raised ever so slightly as I shot the question in Smoke's direction.

"That's my little secret, _přítel_," he replied, holding a finger up to his mask as if to silence us.

I could imagine Smoke, his face proudly beaming. The man may be my most stalwart companion, but he possesses quirks that even I cannot always figure out. It was hard to know how much of a balance he struck between seriousness and comedy. No matter; it wasn't my place to pry in his personal matters, even if Jade probably intended for Smoke to _not _blabber about them.

"She might not look her age, but Jade's certainly no _želva_. More like... a raging, hungry tigress."

Smoke, possibly re-enacting the... extent of his "kinship" with Kitana's bodyguard, childhood friend, and surrogate sister, playfully pawed at the air as he gave a low growl.

"_Rowr_. Definitely a Flawless Victory, if you know what I mean. No amount of koins in the world can buy _this_ kind of action."

My reaction in one word and one word only:

"What."

At least, that's what I had intended to say. In actuality, it came out as more of an "Awuh?"

I glanced over at Sareena in response. Her eyes were uncontrollably twitching, either unable or _unwilling_ to fully register Smoke's words. I felt that I was doing the same. Perhaps there was a defect in the cybernetic construct that now functioned as Smoke's brain... I'll have to ask Jax to take a quick look at Smoke when he has the chance.

And then, the sound of laughter filled the air. The three of us could not help but titter at this exchange. It was probably the first genuine laugh we've all had in ages.

Once the merriment had died down, Smoke began to walk away from us, retreating into the nighttime darkness.

"Tomas? Where are you going?"

I called out after my friend as Sareena and I rose off of the ground to follow Smoke.

"Where do you think?" he humorously answered. "If you can have some alone time with your girl, why can't I have some with my own?"

"Jade does realize Smoke is... robotic in nature, yes?" Sareena whispered in my ears.

"I would hope so, Sareena," I replied. "I would hope so."

"Then again," I quickly added, "who are we to be so judgmental?"

Sareena gave a quick nod, effortlessly understanding the meaning of my words. After all, just look at us: a man descended from the Cryomancers and a demon in human form.

"Just tell Jade to tone down her temper when it comes to Tanya," I advised to Smoke. "Last time I checked, Earthrealm got the short end of the stick as well."

Smoke chuckled, well aware of the raging storm he was about to throw himself against.

... I meant that figuratively.

"I will, but you know how the über-patriotic types are. She's a sweetheart, but cross her or any of her friends and loved ones and you'll be escorted straight to the top of her 'needs to be executed' list. What can I say? I find her fierceness attractive."

"Well, you had better treat her right," Sareena warned, sternly crossing her arms in front of her chest. "And don't you _dare _break up with her. Do it and I guarantee that she'll have the Edenian Resistance after you like a woman scorned."

"There is no need to be concerned about that," assured Smoke, his voice finally settling back into a tone of seriousness and formality he usually possessed.

"And speaking of 'Edenian,' guess who I saw during the Forces of Darkness's little kumbaya?"

Sareena and I briefly traded looks.

"Do Sub-Zero and I want to know?"

"Looks like Rain and Tanya are fond of snogging these days."

"They're... together?"

"Indeed they are."

"Romantically?" Sareena asked, as if she genuinely required further clarification.

"Definitely an item. Without a doubt. Have the whole 'I'm the son of a general, I'm the daughter of an ambassador, we both betrayed our homeland, so let's run off together, double-cross even more people, and have nefarious little children' thing going on. Backstabbing blue bloods stay together, I guess. Rain even got Zi Ran Men lessons out of the deal. I'm sure that's not the only kind of instruction he received, either..."

Now _there's_ a pleasant thought.

"Oh, and then there's those two ruffians Kabal recruited for his Tusken Raider boot camp. Kira and Kobra, I think. Rolls off of the tongue, am I right? Completely hate each other's guts, but are equally too proud to admit that's the part they like most about the other. Put 'em in a room together and lock the door; if one of them isn't dead when all's said and done, they'll probably be over one another like white on rice."

"And _how_ exactly do you know of this?"

"Blame your brother," Smoke replied offhandedly. "Dragged me off to their war meeting. I might not have been in control of my body, but I was still aware of what was going on around me. Quite aware. Unfortunately, nothing of interest came up besides your newest power couple. Just your typical villainous in-fighting. Believe me, if I had full sentience then, I most likely would have heaved. Then again, I think my gag reflex was removed when I was converted..."

It always amazes me how much Smoke can joke about his predicament. Few would be able to live through such harrowing ordeals only to take them all in stride like absolutely nothing happened.

"I'll admit it's all somewhat cute, in a 'match made in Hell' sort of way. Who says villains can't have loved ones?"

Quickly dismissing this last piece of information, Smoke made his way closer to the staircase leading back to the confines of the temple.

"Whoooooah, Chinese ninja warrior! With your heart sooo cold... Sub-Zero!"

Before I could even piece together _what_ Smoke was singing (or reiterate, for the umpteenth time, that Lin Kuei were _not _ninja), he turned around, his right arm held in front of his chest in the classic Lin Kuei salute.

"Be stealthful as the night..."

"... and deadly as the dawn."

I finished the age-old creed of our clan, a reversal of our positions when Smoke and I landed in Outworld to attend their Mortal Kombat tournament.

"Do not worry, Kuai. I will be back when you need me. Promise."

With that solemn oath, a slight bow, and a puff of smoke, my best friend disappeared from sight. But I knew in my heart that Tomas would return soon. He's always had my back and I'll always have his.

"You're lucky to have a friend like him, Sub-Zero. It makes me... a little bit jealous."

"Smoke will never leave my side when it counts. Just like I'll never leave yours."

I could feel Sareena's fingers interlocking with my own as I spoke, her grip ever so slowly tightening. Her hands were cold to the touch.

"Now, where were we?"

"Smooth as ice" is what Smoke would probably cheekily utter right now.

Sareena gave me a warm smile, as if my words were just the spiritual remedy she needed.

"Thank you, Kuai Liang. For everything."

Who said that love cannot bloom on the battlefield?

It is these moments that I cherish the most, yet they only last but for so long. The beauty of a snowflake is transient, lost as it instantly crumbles and melts away in the palm of your hand.

What will become of us? What does the future hold in store?

The former White Lotus monk Kai, deep in mediation, was once able to briefly link his mind to that of the One Being's dreams. His consciousness drifting across the lands in search of knowledge and understanding, he was able to see all, from the rise of Shao Kahn and his eventual demise at the hand of Liu Kang, to the return of the Dragon King and our final battle in the southlands of Edenia. When he looked to the future, he saw nothing.

These premonitions... Is Armageddon truly upon us, lurking just behind the unknown horizon?

* * *

**A/N: **Unlike some other fighting games, _Mortal Kombat_ has never really had much in the form of supplemental materials besides a few official comics and word of mouth from the creators, so it's hard to accurately piece together everything. Some of the events detailed here are conjecture derived from official sources, but I believe that most of what I have written here is canonically accurate.

For those who have been out of touch with the series recently (shame on you!), the names of the Sub-Zero brothers were revealed in the vignette and trailer for Sub-Zero in the 2011 game (it's 2015 now, in case you lost track of time), as well as in the game itself. It's confirmed that the Sub-Zero present in the game is the younger one (much like in _MKII_), his real name is Kuai Liang, and he originally went by the codename of "Tundra" (which was the original suggested codename for Sub-Zero in the first _MK_). Thus, Elder Sub-Zero/Noob Saibot is Bi-Han. Likewise, _MK9_ states that Smoke's real name is Tomas Vrbada, and that he hailed from Prague (the capital of the Czech Republic).

Sub-Zero was specifically noted to be 32 at the time of _MKII_. While the amount of time specified between games is unknown, there are a few hints that the series takes place in real time up to and including _Deadly Alliance_, based off of the release dates of each title (in the case of _MK3_ and _MK4_, we'd be going by _Trilogy_ and _Gold_, respectively); for example, Kenshi's bio in _DA _(released in 2002) notes that it had been a decade since he was blinded, and Konquest Mode in _Deception_ has him attempting to join the first game's tournament. Cage's bio also states that ten years had passed since the island tournament of the first game, which came out in 1992. This would put Sub-Zero in his early forties during _DA__-D-A_. I don't know why exactly they decided to make Sub-Zero look like an old man in _DA_ for no apparent reason (some theorize it was caused by his Dragon Medallion) when no one else seems to have experienced such drastic age jumps (the only other character to have undergone a change of that magnitude was Shujinko, and that was due to a combination of natural time progression and realm-hopping shenanigans). I've noticed that he appears to be not quite _as_ old in _Deception_ and _Armageddon_.

As for the mention of how Sub-Zero can sense auras and whatnot, this isn't explicitly canon, but in _vs. DCU_, he's somehow able to track Scorpion by merely placing his hands near the ground, so I would assume that he's supernaturally aware (being part-Cryomancer might help as well).

Before anyone cries foul with the mention of Noob still having ice powers, it should be noted that in _Mortal Kombat Gold_, Noob borrowed Sub-Zero's Ice Shatter Fatality, perhaps as foreshadowing to his reveal as the elder (and original) Sub-Zero. Alternatively, it could've just been that the team was lazy/cheaply reusing assets, as Noob also uses Reiko's Shuriken Barrage Fatality—the same Fatality he'd be given in _Deception_; then again, Noob was taken out of _4_ in favor of Reiko, so arguably, you could say that Reiko was a Noob knockoff/reskin, much like a few other characters in _MK4_ were.

If anyone requires clarification on the part about Shujinko and Scorpion's roles in the battle against Onaga, Shujinko's _Deception_ ending (in conjunction with Nightwolf's) is heavily implied to be canon given what is disclosed in the bios for _Armageddon_. Yet, at the same time, Scorpion's story in _Armageddon_ has him seeking revenge for the Elder Gods for betraying him (by reviving the Shirai Ryu as zombies) even though he carried out their "task" (they're jerks like that). The only task we know of that was assigned to Scorpion by the Elder Gods was slaying Onaga as their champion. Confused? You're not the only one.

And yes, the story is indeed coated with Sub-Zero/Sareena. Whether or not she has feelings for YSZ because she was infatuated with ESZ after he spared her or because she legitimately is attracted to him is unknown, but _something_ is definitely there between those two.

As for the Smoke/Jade joke, while I've portrayed them as a couple of sorts in this story, don't look into it too hard as evidence for the two being an item in-canon. The original timeline, I mean. However, I will admit that they _do_ look good together. Likewise, a good number of fans simply like to pair them up either because **a)** both were seen peeking out from behind the trees of the Living Forest in _MKII_ or **b)** Sub-Zero/Kitana is a mildly popular couple in fanfiction (I don't get _why_, though), and as such, fans see it fitting to also pair up their respective BFFs. The same goes for the Tanya/Rain joke Smoke cracked. Conversely, I _could_ see that relationship happening thanks to several traits they share in common, but as far as I know, their only connection is that of fellow members of the Forces of Darkness. Smoke's being privy to Jade's three sizes/BWH measurements and astrological sign comes from Jade's "Girls Gone Wired" tape from G4's _Video Game Vixens_ back in 2005, something that _also_ should be taken with a grain of salt.

Now, with all of that out of the way, get hype for _Mortal Kombat X_! Woo!


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